Pakistan drop Misbah, recall Farhat to play New Zealand

Karachi: Pakistan have dropped senior batsman Misbah-ul-Haq from the squad to play New Zealand and recalled opener Imran Farhat after nearly three years out of the team.

Pakistan are scheduled to play four one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches against the Kiwis in Abu Dhabi and Dubai before travelling to New Zealand for a test series.

"We have decided to give Misbah a rest and he will be considered for the tour of Australia and can concentrate on playing domestic cricket," chief selector Iqbal Qasim told a news conference on Thursday.

It is the first time Misbah, 35, has been dropped since he returned to the national team before the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007.